agent: A factor, such as a microorganism, chemical substance, or form of radiation, whose presence, excessive presence, or (in deficiency diseases) relative absence is essential for the occurrence of a disease. age-specific mortality rate: A mortality rate limited to a particular age group. The numerator is the number of deaths in that age group; the denominator is the number of persons in that age group in the population.
Sleeping Pills and Memory Loss. Elderly people have more trouble sleeping than younger folks. Some causes include waking to urinate, pain due to arthritis or other inflammations and lack of exercise. Sleeping pills can help, but they have a dark side. They can cause memory loss.
1 Examples of medications that can interfere with memory include over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills, over-the-counter antihistamines, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, some medications used to treat schizophrenia, and pain medicines used after surgery. Usually treating the depression will improve mood and the memory problems may then also improve, Mani says. 2  Head injury. 3  A blow to the head can cause a loss of consciousness and memory loss.  4 Memory loss from head trauma typically stays the same or gradually gets better, but not worse, Mani says.